Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-07-15
RELIABLE WORKERS.
What Mrs John A. Logan Knows About
Female Government Clerks.

What Mrs. John A. Logan Knows About
Female Government Clerks.
Saws one of the secretaries: 'Give |
me women for good clerical work. We
can depend upon them. They do not
come into their offices untitled for the
duties before them by a nights carousal,
as has sometimes happened with men
when most important matters were in
their hands" Such cases are of course
exceptional, and are overlooked and
forgotten in men, the offender alone be-
ing held responsible; his exemplary
brother clerks are not adjudged culpable
on account of his offenses. But let one
woman go wrong, do poor work. be
tardy, and the whole class reap the cal
jimmy. Women are not allowed indi-
vidual responsibility, but all are held
for the misdeeds on one. On
the other hand if one
woman has superior talent, does bet
ter work, is in truth an expert in any
special line, her fame is not heralded,
but accepted as matter of course. If
a man sits beside her doing the same
work, he probably gets $1,000, while
she receives only $900-or about in
that proportion.
No lady is allowed the same salary
in the higher grades of clerkships, no
matter how we'll she fills the higher
salaried desks, and how many of
them are to-day in those positions but
do not receive the pay. AS an illustra-
t;o, - he, b,nDapad tbat in caSas Of
illness or disability of men clerks,
their wives performed the duty of their
husbands, drawing in their name the
salary as if they had performed the
work. In one case the wife kept up
} her husbands desk for three long
weary years. during his illness receiv-
ing the 81, 800 per annum, and there
by supporting the family; but from the
day of his death, though she continued
the same work, her salary was 5000.
In almost every branch of the civil
service, women have been employed.
Many of them become experts in the
various departments to which they be
o long. This is especially true of then
as rapid and accurate counters, as
counterfeit detectors and restorers OF
mutilated currency. The redemption
= and counting division is one of the mos
interesting in the Treasury Depart
ment. Here, worn and mutilated banl
:. notes that are no longer in service ar
counted previous to being destroyed
- The counting is done by women, man.
y of whom acquire great skill, and seldom
q make mistake in manipulating tn
n dilapidated packages.
- A great deal of delicate work
! done in verifying currency which ha
;, been partially destroyed by fire o
i other causes, and which has been sen
- to the treasury to be exchanged 70
~, new notes. The women who are ex
- pert in this business take the mass c
! burned, or otherwise injured currenc
~ after unpacking it from the raw cot
ton in which it Travelled, and with Ion
j. thin knives and powerful magnifyin
n glasses, slowly and cautiously separat
J. the pieces and decide the value an
10 nature of each note alleged to be in tn
&c collection. Sometimes the entir
N amount has thus to be. verified
20 but usually there is loss from ten
&c thirty per cent Such is the record
m these women that they have been a
$. lowed to go long distances to restol
at burnt money belonging to the Adam
e. Express Company, because it wi
70 known there was no one else in the Lar
v who could perform this servive.-Mr
us John a. Logan, IN Chautouquan.